Chinese Zodiac : Dog

Years: 1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006

People born in the Year of the Dog possess the best traits of human nature.
Dog people are honest, faithful and sincere. They respect tradition and value honor, and enjoy helping people. The Dog is very righteous, and always the first to speak out against injustice. They are not good at socializing with friends, and rarely shine in company, but Dogs are intelligent, caring and good listeners.

Loyal, faithful and honest, Dogs have the most profound sense of duty. You can count on them and they'll never let you down. And as a good listener, the Dog is also very reliable in keeping secrets for others. They simply do not like to gossip.
Dog people are agreeable companions - when they're in a good mood. But when panic strikes, they can turn nasty, and bark till they're tired. They can be judgmental, defensive and picky if you rub them the wrong way. But as long as you know how to pet and massage the Dog, they make absolutely the best and most honorable companion on Earth.

Dogs are born old and get younger as they age. They take everything very seriously. You may hear the Dog complains a lot about street lamps, about traffic, or about the weather, but as they get older, the less they take his own criticisms seriously.

The loyal Dog makes a splendid captain of industry, a priest, an educator, a critic, or a doctor. But whatever their career, it'll have in them a spokesperson whose ideals will be profound and often original.

When fears become reality, Dogs go a little crazy. When a Dog enters a relationship where they are the giver and the partner is the taker, they are usually very generous and loyal, and in love, they are honest and straightforward. But they will have romantic problems all their life - it's their own fault, really: they lead themselves by their emotional instability and their eternal anxiety. They are worriers.

Compatibility

(1 - least compatible, 100 - most compatible)

Rat................. 72 - Why not?
Ox ..................62 - Difficult, but possible.
Tiger .............89 - Good! A balanced and harmonic relationship.
Rabbit ...........77 - Fine, as long as they keep it cool.
Dragon ..........62 - Think again.
Snake ............67 - This could work.
Horse ............92 - A happy couple.
Goat ...............62 - Difficult, but possible.
Monkey ........67 - With reservation. The dog might suffer.
Rooster ........63 - Only if it's absolutely necessary.
Dog ................62 - Difficult, but possible.
Pig .................84 - They share their thoughts and feelings.

The Year of the Dog

Paradoxically the year of the Dog will bring happiness and dissent in the same boat. The Dog's domestic auspices will bring harmony to home life, patriotism to one's country and unwavering fealty to whatever cause you wish to support.
On the other hand, his rigid willpower and unbending sense of justice will also lead to major confrontations with the weaker side getting the upper hand. It is a year in which controversial issues will be awarded a hearing and unconventional but effective changes will be introduced. Equality and liberty will be advocated by the Dog's noble influence.

We will become more idealistic in our views, shedding some materialism by doing charitable acts or otherwise championing some worthy projects. It is a year in which we will shift away from the pursuit of the almighty dollar and become a little more reflective. A perfect time to reassess our sense of values, polish up our virtues and go on crusades against tyranny and oppression.

In spite of the Dog's dismal outlook, he brings stability because people do not usually dare to challenge his authority when they see how intent he is on keeping the peace. The year of the Metal Dog is more feared than others as he is said to bring war and calamity.

Needless to say, the Dog's resoluteness and intensity will cause clashes, upheavals and rebellions of all sorts, but it will be his good sense and largesse that will also smooth things out in the end. His unselfishness will predispose us to be more big-hearted than we normally are.

This will also be a year in which we will wish we could relax more without the cynical Dog constantly casting worries on our minds. Then again, perhaps it will be the Dog's ever-watchful eye that will be the main force in keeping this time calm.

Aside from this feeling of uneasiness, there should be no cause for alarm. We can go about our business as usual since the Dog makes the perfect sentry.

The Dog's year will lend integrity to our intentions and make us act in good faith. Nothing should concern us so long as we stick to the righteous path.

Legend of the Zodiac : The Cat and the Rat

There are a couple different versions of the story. All of them involve some god-like figure (Buddah, the Jade Emperor, "Kami-san") inviting all the animals to him (either for a party or a race) and then assigning them a place in the zodiac based on the order they arrived in. I will tell the version I first read about...

One day, Buddah invited all the animals to take place in a race. All the animals gathered in the place where the race was to begin the night before. The cat asked the rat if he would wake him up when the race was about to begin and the rat agreed.

Meanwhile, the ox, believing he was too slow and would not stand a chance against the other, swifter animals; resolved himself to stay awake and leave before the other animals rose in the morning. The rat noticed this and when the ox set out just before dawn, the rodent climbed a tree and dropped down onto his back where he was so light, the ox did not notice his passenger.

When the ox stood just before the gates of Buddah's palace he stopped to look back and see how well his plan had worked and congratulate himself on his success. During that moment the rat scrambled up and lept off to arrive first at the palace and earn his place in the zodiac for his punctuality. The disgruntled ox arrived next followed in time by the next 10 animals of the zodiac. The poor cat, having never been awakened by the rat slept through the race and missed out on being a part of the zodiac and has hunted the rat ever since.